ISTANBUL, Turkey – September 22, 2008 - On Saturday, the International Youth Foundation (IYF) signed a new partnership agreement with Microsoft Corp. that establishes a collaboration framework to include multiple global agencies in a focused, leveraged development assistance initiative, promoting a wide range of youth and technology-focused employment training, education, health, and civic engagement programs.

“IYF’s ability to realize the power and promise of young people rests upon the remarkable strength of its global network of youth-serving organizations,” says William S. Reese, CEO of the International Youth Foundation. “One result of this new partnership is that our partner organizations will be able to access valuable Microsoft software free of charge, which will help them carry out their work more efficiently and effectively.”

An immediate benefit of this agreement to the IYF global network of more than 165 partner organizations in 70 countries will be the coordinated access to more than $1M worth of donated Microsoft software.

“Microsoft is committed to working with organizations that use information technology to drive and support innovative ideas that have the potential to make a significant, positive change in the world,” said Akhtar Badshah, Senior Director of Community Affairs at Microsoft. “This partnership reflects the growing global collaboration needed to improve the lives and prospects of young people worldwide.”

The signing ceremony took place at IYF’s Global Partner Meeting in Istanbul, where Non-Governmental Organizations and corporate leaders from around the world, as well as representatives from government agencies such as USAID and the World Bank, are convening to discuss new trends and innovative strategies in youth development.

The new agreement builds upon an already fruitful partnership between Microsoft and IYF that includes support for entra21, IYF’s flagship IT job training and job placement initiative in Latin America. More recently, Microsoft and IYF joined forces in Sub-Saharan Africa to improve the employability of disadvantaged African youth through the Youth Empowerment Program. For more than 18 years, IYF has developed a global community of leaders in the public, private, and non-governmental sectors that work together to ensure more disadvantaged young people have the skills and opportunities to be successful at school, in the workplace and in their communities.

About the International Youth Foundation
The International Youth Foundation (IYF) invests in the extraordinary potential of young people. Founded in 1990, IYF builds and maintains a worldwide community of businesses, governments, and civil society organizations committed to empowering youth to be healthy, productive, and engaged citizens. IYF programs are catalysts of change that help young people obtain a quality education, gain employability skills, make healthy choices, and improve their communities. To learn more visit www.iyfnet.org.

Press contact:
Jim Pierce
International Youth Foundation
410-951-1606
jim@iyfnet.org